Teachers actually care about kids in that school . I am so happy that my kid has the opportunity to…read morebe part of the school and my kid is happy there.

We love this school from an education standpoint, which is most important. However, there is a…read morenotable con that prevents me from giving 5-stars--beginning with the odd release hours. They release early quite often. Every Tuesday is 1pm release, and during conference weeks or teacher planning weeks, every single day is 12pm (half day) release. That being said, as a working parent, it's been tough (sometimes near-impossible) at times to bend my schedule to accommodate. Why don't I just do after school care, you wonder? There was a waitlist and it filled immediately. We moved from out of state, and didn't have a chance to apply to the waitlist. There is currently nothing to do but put your child on the waitlist and hope you can get in. There are also no buses at this school, so there is no option to have your child bussed to childcare facilities. If you work a 9-5, just be prepared for this. No one warned us of these somewhat difficult workarounds, so I wanted to make other working parents aware. Education-wise, like I said, the school is excellent. Our child is thriving and the teacher is great, our child loves her.

The Oaks has been such an enriching experience for our entire family…read more The teachers are intentional, nurturing children's individuality while challenging them in equal measure. My second grader already navigates school with ownership and curiosity. It's a kind, tight-knit environment that provides the small-town community we worried we'd sacrifice in Los Angeles. We are so fortunate to have found it!

This is my family's 5th year here, and we currently have kids in K and 4th. It's no doubt the best…read morecommunity in the city. My closest friends are parents here, and not just those in my kids' grades, but across the school. There are endless opportunities to connect, show up for one another, and keep learning as adults too. And now, the real reason we're all here: the kids. My husband and I wanted a school where our children would genuinely love learning, and that's 100% what we've found. The child-centered, inquiry-based approach means kids are curious, engaged, and invested. They have a voice in what they're learning and how they learn it, which makes it stick. We also deeply value the anti-bias curriculum. From the get-go, children learn about differences, talk about them openly, and celebrate them. By the time students leave in 6th grade, they're not only confident, joyful learners, they're thoughtful advocates for themselves and others. Honestly, what more could you ask for? But there is more! An all-school Circus with unicycling, tightrope walking, etc. In-house support for kids with learning differences. Opportunities for the kids to safely gain confidence speaking and presenting their work to the entire community. An all-school Campout. The coolest, most inspiring artwork you've ever seen kids produce. A super cool Hogwarts style, historic campus. A parking lot! A buddy system where the older kids look out for the younger ones. The coziest library. An inspiring music room with instruments galore. The cutest little kinder cottage you ever did see. A beautiful award winning (seriously) outdoor area. Daily P.E. I could go on, but it's starting to get braggy (and that, we're not). If you want a special, low-key amazing boutique school and community experience, come to The Oaks!

This is a beautiful place for my kid and they have a wonderful staff. Miss Anita is my daughter…read moreteacher and she is amazing.

I cannot stress enough how much I love this school, the staff and the new principal as of 2024…read more My son is 4yrs old, He has an IEP for a speech delay and they welcomed him here full time (it is a dual enrollment). They accept 2-4yr olds or sooner if potty trained. But call to ask, I may be wrong! Drop off and pick up times vary, depends on your work schedule but they are open until 5pm. The communication with parents and teachers is exceptional. You are able to walk your child to their class and meet the adults in their class. The office manager is helpful and welcoming. Enrollment process is like any other school, the office manager is helpful and patient. The playground is clean and filled with kid friendly activities and toys. The team sets up fun performances for holidays, they have spirit week and the teachers discuss amongst themselves the agendas for the week. They allow parents to see that the team here care about our children and their education. Communicating with the teachers and principal is easy through an app. My son was enrolled at an EEC by Wilton and 8th street which was conveniently near our residence, however, the enrollment process, staff, drop off and everything in general was definitely 2/10. I much rather drive 4 miles during morning rush hour to have a better education for my kid. I recommend Dayton Heights to anyone in the LA area. This school is everything I hoped for as a mom. My second child will be attending here as soon as he can :)

A Nightmare!! If you have a black son who is active and expressive this isn't the school for your…read morechild. Unless you want your toddler to be vilianized , I would highly suggest seeking another school !! My son was expelled after only being enrolled for a month. Ms. Carla kicked him out with no discussion or prior warning of expulsion. I came to pick him up one day and she said that he couldn't come back. I was shocked. I asked her for her reasoning in person but she refused to tell me, which was extremely disrespectful and outrageous. She said that my fiancé and I would have to "wait" until she writes us a letter explaining why. After waiting about a week for a response, the letter didn't mention any typical behavior that you would expect from a child being expelled , such as fighting or biting. Ms. Carla made mention that he wouldn't listen and that he could be disruptive if he was bored which just sounded like typical 2 year old behavior to me. This experience caught us completely off guard. The way she handled such a delicate situation with blatant disregard was unprofessional and inappropriate. My family and I are extremely traumatized from this experience and wouldn't wish this on anyone. Children with high energy and will not be welcomed at this school . I hope this helps !!

My son attended Sage Garden from the ages of 1 1/2 to 4 1/2. This place is a gem. Ms. Carla and Ms…read more Iman are truly invested in enriching the lives of the children in their care. The facility includes a big backyard with a garden that the children tend to and eat from (parents also get to take home veggies, bonus!). Ms. Iman is a trained chef and creates a balanced diet of whole foods. She often includes the children in some element of the preparation process. They have a perfect balance of creative, free time for the children to express themselves as well as structured curriculum and lesson plans. My son was reading and writing well before most other children his age. Ms. Carla has over 20 years of teaching experience and she is an expert when it comes to motivating and getting the best out of each individual child. The children are treated as individuals who have talents, skills and needs that are unique to them. However, the children are not coddled, they are gently pushed toward acquiring new skills. My husband and I thought of Ms. Carla and Ms. Iman as co-parents to our son. I went to Ms. Carla for parenting advice on several occasions and she was more than happy to help. I just cannot say enough about this place, the women who run it, and the rich foundation it has provided my son with. Your child will grow so much here.

School picks and chooses favorites they discriminate based on how you look I was a freshman and…read moreother students that were also freshman's,sophomore's, AND SENIORS were threatening to fight me and my friend the school blamed me and my friend for everything and everyone else got away with it my mom complained multiple times and they just excused the other students they never did anything to fix the situation and the students walked away without consequences while I was scared having to go to school not knowing if the kids were going to do something to me all because a girl was that me and my friend would go out more without her

Terrible school, nice concept for entry into a career for Zoology, but ultimately unpromising and…read morefavoritism is very apparent here. Faculty needs a thorough review, Aragon doesn't do shit for students and talks trash about different parents and kids. Real class act.

I am so glad this school was closed. Sonia (owner) would give them pages to do in workbooks, they…read morewould basically sit alone and do the work. She would never walk around to check or teach. My son would come home and tell me she would be making a Facebook page for her dog rather than help the students. I had to homeschool my child to state standards on top of the work he would do at Emerson. This was supposed to be a special needs school with supports. What a scam, it was a horrible and damaging experience. If she shows up somewhere else- buyer beware. I saw several families flee this school and people would never review back then to warn other parents. She got away with it for a long time. It was all too small and intimate.

The Emerson Academy was an excellent school that was opened for nearly 20 years. The school catered…read moreto students of all abilities. We enrolled students other schools refused to educate, namely students on the autism spectrum. The Emerson Academy was a small school, with 15 to 20 students who were all given close attention across the board. The school was WASC accredited with a wide variety of courses offered; art, film, drama, music, etc. Though the school closed its doors in 2018 due a shift in the education market, many of the alumni, both students and parents, have maintained deep friendships. I can write a book about what a blessing the Emerson Academy was for so many families. Whoever left the mean-spirited comment about the school and me personally, has no idea what they are talking about. Clearly, they spent no time in the school, but somehow feel like an expert on the matter. To any and all former families and faculty who may come upon this yelp review: Thank you for an amazing two decades! What a gift to have been part of your child's educational experience. and to my former colleagues, thank you for your dedication!

At first I thought it was going to be great having my kids attend a montessori preschool. Boy was…read moreI wrong. Sure they did learn some Montessori disciplines but not in this environment. Granted some of the teachers were sweet and my older son did learn some great things. But the owner of this school is clearly losing her mind. Making rules up on the fly, making us sign bs paperwork acknowledging changes to policy and school holidays only to make up new holidays 2 weeks later. Most parents work and cannot just take days off with less then 7 working days notice. Many of the teachers barely spoke understandable english along with the owner. many of the teachers were extremely old. Much to old to be watching more then one child at a time. I had an experience in which one of the teachers could barely open a jar of food without my assistance because her arthritis was "acting up." Are these the people i want watching. However, my gripe is not so much with the teachers but the owner Nevrik. I beleive she was in it for the money not for the kids. So very sad. My kids are ultimately in her hands 8 hours per day and I could barely tolerate her. I quickly found out i wasn't the only parent feeling this. Eventually i started feeling sick dripping my kids off. I knew i had to make a change. slowly but surely my kids class mates were disappearing and one parent clued me in. These kids were all changing schools and i found out where. We called the new place, had a meeting, toured the school, let the kids try it out for a day and we signed quicker then ever. Do not go here. It really isn't worth it and you'll have no piece of mind.

Our child is a victim of DISCRIMINATION and RETALIATION by Media Center school director/owner…read moreNevrik Satamian. Our kids have been attending Media Center Montessori since 2006. We believe in the teachers and supported the school in many ways through fundraising, donations and referrals. Our child was recently KICKED OUT of school because we expressed health and safety concerns regarding mold and an unsafe/wobbly swing set. 1. MOLD PROBLEM: each time it rained not only would the roof leak, but also cause the school to flood both inside and out. Last November we finally decided to voice our concerns regarding mold after a heavy rain storm left a musty smell in the classroom. Our child was constantly dry coughing during this time. Ms. Nevrik was very defensive and insisted the school was free of mold. Despite her unwillingness she decided to move forward with the test. Mold was present everywhere! We were very grateful for her immediate attention to correct the findings. 2. UNSAFE SWING SET: the wooden swing set has been a concern of ours for quite some time. We've witnessed the entire set swing more than the kids! Ms. Nevrik resolved this issue by having it completely removed. Rather organizing a fundraiser in an effort to cover cost of replacement she posted a notice telling the parents to "pool your resources together and purchase a new one if you want it replaced". The swing set was the main attraction on the playground. We received a letter shortly after the swing set concern stating that Media Center will no longer accept our child due to "failure to pay several months of late fees and ignoring the school policy". It served as an official 15 day notice to find our child another school. WE'VE NEVER RECEIVED A LATE PAYMENT CHARGE. In fact, there's no termination clause in the school contract. It's evident that Ms. Nevrik is retaliating against our child since she was forced to spend money ON HER SCHOOL in order to correct these problems. Not only did she break the Parents Rights policy, but also showed her true colors. Money comes first for this school director regardless of a child's stability and years of loyalty. Without compassion or consideration she removed our child from the familiar environment, friends and loving teachers who meant so much. Without a doubt the teachers have been this school's saving grace. Please proceed with caution.

Such an amazing school. All staff here is super friendly and willing to help. Great learning…read moreenvironment. Teachers are very committed to their student. School is smaller in size , so it makes it feel very intimate. After school programs are great as well. Can't give this place enough stars.

We moved into this neighborhood 8 years ago, and heard only good things about this school. It had a…read moregreat reputation for being an outstanding school in the city. It had a 8/9 GreatSchools rating at the time. Pros: The families are diverse, welcoming and open-minded. As a person of color and an immigrant, I appreciate that the families at this school represent the diversity of Los Angeles. There is also a lot of socio-economic diversity. 2) Another great aspect is the community events that the kids love, like Halloween Carnival, Glow Dance, MonsterWalk, etc. The kids look forward to these school events every year and creates fun opportunities for families to get together outside of school. 3) The Friends of Gardner parent organization is a small but mighty group that does all of the fundraising for the arts/music/gardening program and runs a lot of the school events. They truly "fill in the gaps" when it comes to the quality of educational experience our kids get at Gardner. Here are some NEUTRALS: Gardner is a No Homework policy which means that all the way up until 5th grade, your kid will get no homework. If they do, it's completely optional. Some families appreciate the freedom and philosophy. Other families have noted a very hard transition when their child goes into middle school and they now have 1-2 hours of homework every night. Cons: Every year, we have a handful of students in the class who need more support, whether that is just behavioral issues or a learning disability that requires IEP, and the teachers, school, administration, has little to no resources to adequately meet these needs. This means major disruptions during classroom learning time and students falling behind grade level. (This is not particular to Gardner, but likely district-wide for LAUSD schools). 2) Most of our classes were 30+ kids in each grade, which is also not specific to Gardner. Final thoughts: We've been at Gardner for 4 years, and every year, many families leave for neighboring schools. I think Gardner, 10 years ago, was an amazing school, but now I would say it is average/above average. And if you're curious, their GreatSchools rating is now a 4/5.